Thate releases first EP and radio single
By Shara JJ Cooper
Many Boundary residents already know who Amanda Thate is – a 20-year-old local singer known for her vocals. But in the next few months, her name is going to become more familiar in the industry and on radio stations as Thate continues to advance her career.
The first big news for Thate is that she is launching her debut album – an EP — called “Something Brave” on June 2. The album will be available on iTunes and CD Baby and includes her newest single “Hit and Run,” which can be heard on her website.
“Hit and Run” is another example of how she is making headways with her career. The single will be released this coming week to 150 country music radio stations across Canada.
Brian Thate, her father and manager, says this is huge for Amanda but that they will still have to encourage radio stations to play the song.
Members of her team will be phoning each radio station and telling them “You’ve got to hear Amanda Thate,” said Brian.
Her team is made up of people who are rooting for her and want her to succeed, he said, adding that his daughter is going in with her eyes wide open, knowing that nothing is guaranteed.
Some of the people who are supporting her are big names in the industry, like Jay Buettner, one of the top guitarists in Canada, according to Brian. Buettner has been quoted as saying “New traditional country meets Dixie Chicks with a little pop thrown in! That’s Amanda!” about Thate.
Buettner has helped pull together a band for Amanda.
According to Brian Thate, it’s nothing for him to call up Brian Adams drummer and ask him to help out with Amanda’s band, he said. Noting that she will have a list of six or seven musicians available for her band when she needs them.
Buettner isn’t the only well known artist involved with the EP. Patricia Conroy, Michelle Wright, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Cat Higgins, Lynda McKillip and One More Girl have all contributed towards Thates new EP.
Brian says these artists having given some really good material to Thate, and that for some of it they had been waiting for the right artist.
“They hold back and don’t give away their best stuff,” he said. “I don’t know if they gave her their best stuff, but they gave her the good stuff.”
Brian even found out that people had been talking about Amanda at a meeting that included the president of the Big Valley Jamboree association and a top producer in Nashville. Brian was told that someone at the meeting asked if anyone knew Amanda and they started talking about her talent.
“They’re watching,” said Brian. He went on to say that the man who mastered the EP in Nashville rarely comments on albums but said “The vocals had me hooked right from the beginning” when he worked on her debut album.
“We’re so excited,” said Brian of all the changes and advancements happening with Amanda’s career.
Amanda will also be performing at the Christina Lake Homecoming this summer and has just been invited to perform at the Canadian Country Music Association music week Sept. 5.
As if she wasn’t busy enough, Amanda found time to get married last week in Abbotsford, where she is currently living.
— originally published in the Boundary Sentinel
